WORLD BRIDGE BLOG

Friends of Refugees International came together last Wednesday, in the beautiful beach-side setting of Nantucket. Around eighty people joined together that night, to learn more about refugee crises around the world, with a particular focus on the current situation in Sudan, and RIs advocacy efforts.

Sam Waterston, actor and RI board member, passionately spoke to the group about how he became involved in RI. After filming the movie The Killing Fields in Cambodia, he said that once he knew about the problem, he felt compelled to try to do something about it. Matt Dillon echoed the same sentiment. Matt's involvement with RI began largely as the result of his experience as director of City of Ghosts in Cambodia. Since that time, Matt has used his talents in film to help spread awareness about various refugee crises, including a short documentary on the crisis in Southern Sudan that he made in 2009, whilst on a trip with RI.

January 2011 is a major turning point for Sudan, as the country votes in a referendum about whether southern Sudan should secede, and form an independent country. Advocate, Jennifer Smith, spoke about the challenges that this referendum presents, particularly for Southern Sudanese living in the North, and who may be exposed to political backlash, and possibly violence. While it may seem that this is a humanitarian disaster waiting to happen, Jennifer’s speech reminded us that if we have the foresight and political will to address the problem now, we can protect vulnerable people.

Overall, the event in Nantucket was a success. In a relaxed setting, we had the chance to speak with advocates and board members. People, who were not previously acquainted with RI, had the chance to get to know the valuable and life changing work of the organization. It was a great opportunity to hear about a place and issues, which are going to be of primary importance in the near future.